


Sunset

by Saladofhumanflesh



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Rose Tyler Loves the Doctor, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saladofhumanflesh/pseuds/Saladofhumanflesh
Summary: Rose misses the Doctor
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Kudos: 11





	Sunset

The sun went down, the previously blue sky glowed in a soft orange. Seagulls flew over the wide sea, the surface of which seemed to glisten through the last rays of the day.

She had buried her feet in the sand, it was still warm. With her eyes closed, she inhaled the clear air. Her blonde hair swayed gently with the wind.

She was waiting for it to get dark. She waited for the stars, for the endlessness of the night sky. For the small part of the universe that she could see from down here.

With her right index finger, she began to paint in the sand, simply because she liked how it felt like on her skin.

The sound of the waves was a soothing sound in her ears. She could just close her eyes and imagine being very far away.

She heard someone approach her, but her gaze remained rigidly directed to the sky.

It was far too early to return to reality, far too early to see her dreams disintegrate into dust once again. She would like to sit here forever in the sand, listen to the sea, and pretend that nothing has happened. As if everything were still the same as before.

A hand suddenly was on her shoulder, she knew it belonged to John.

"Rose," he said, with concern swinging in his voice.

The voice that sounded like the Doctor's, but it wasn't quite the same.

Rose did not answer him, she continued to stare into the sky.

Eventually, he let himself sink to the ground next to her. For a while they sat there in silence, staring into the sky until the sun had completely disappeared.

Then, John turned his gaze and looked at her instead.

"I'm here," he said softly.

Rose shook her head, still not turning her gaze away from the stars.

"No... no, you're not," she whispered, as if talking to the stars, not him.

"What is the difference between him and me? We're the same person.'

Again, Rose shook her head, then she sighed, and finally looked at him.

"You are not. He was sadder than you, but still so much more alive. When he looked at me, the world stood still for me. Now I'm looking you in the eye, but time doesn't stop. That sparkle in his eyes when he looked at me, you don't have that. You speak differently, slower than him, and with less enthusiasm. When you run, I don't want to run with you, I want to stop," she said calmly.

Tears gathered in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. With another sigh, she turned her gaze back to the stars.

"You have so many memories of me, memories of things we've done together. The Doctor and I. It's easy for you to think you're the same. But I... I have no memories of you. I have memories of him. No matter how much you try to be like him, you will never be anyone other than yourself. And that's okay. You can live a wonderful life, you can collect new memories, your own memories. Just not with me."

John got up and looked at the night sky again.

"He's not going to come back," he said, eventually turning his gaze away.

Now she couldn't hold back her tears. As John walked away, she remained sitting there, let her tears run free and wished she could forget this man with the blue box who had so enchanted her, who had turned her life upside down.

"Rose," said a voice behind her.

It sounded like John's, but somehow quite... different.


End file.
